Success applying to Michigan

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When you say apply early, are you saying apply before the November 1 deadline or apply in September?

As in if you want to attend, apply in August. Definitely do not wait until Nov 1 for EA

Really? I have never heard this before. So applying in September or early October really makes a difference?

NP. I think in a way it displays demonstrated and the application gets an early read (just my guess) before the flood of applications in November.

Returning to this thread to help those applying this fall.

I definitely think it helps to get the Michigan application in before October 15 - preferably by the end of September.

My kid submitted the application by October 10 and was admitted in early action. Was also not the very tippy top of the class either. Had very, very good Michigan essays that they spent a good portion of August on.

Here is something I saw today on a Michigan admissions Facebook group:

“I recently had my daughter and some of her friends make the appointment at Umich to read their application feedback, as they just completed freshmen year. It was very helpful to see it through the lens of the people reading it. One thing she noticed is that both reviewers made a note about her application being reviewed prior to the deadline (and they indicated the date on which they reviewed it in October).”

Interesting. Do you mean submitting application early including counselor letter and teacher LORs? Unfortunately at my kids large public school, teachers and counselors tend to submit LOR at the very last minute.

Just submitting your actual application early. Yes, the school LOR take time.
There's a mad rush on Nov 1, and if your school sends a lot of applications, they are trying to figure out who really wants to go.
They review the apps in order received.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Son got waitlisted. I'm not surprised, nor complaining, just here to show you that even kids who have strong credentials may not draw a lucky card. Got in UVA, UCLA and Georgetown.

Val, rank 1/600, about a 4.7 michigan gpa due to all As and 13 APs. Biology. Had APs in Chem, Physics and Bio. 5s on 5 AP tests and 1 4 going into admissions round. Really strong essays and very michigan specific. OOS. Maybe problem for him was 1500 SAT? If it had been 1540, would that have helped?

Was not his first choice anyway, so it's all good. Gorgeous school, we were enchanted. Go Blue!

where is your kid going? Mine is still deciding between 2 of these 3. 11th hour panic is setting in and he is no closer to a decision.

Georgetown - first choice from day 1. Perfect fit for him. But had it not worked out, he would have been happy at other two.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At our high ranking FCPS high school, the two kids I know who got in both had the necessary high stats and class rank but also one was an athlete and a legacy and the other proudly lied about his awards and ECs (his dad thought it was funny - great catch, Michigan)

A recruited athlete or just a high level high school athlete? Also, Michigan absolutely favors legacy, despite the official statements that they don’t consider legacy.

[Anonymous]

Which Michigan?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At our high ranking FCPS high school, the two kids I know who got in both had the necessary high stats and class rank but also one was an athlete and a legacy and the other proudly lied about his awards and ECs (his dad thought it was funny - great catch, Michigan)

A recruited athlete or just a high level high school athlete? Also, Michigan absolutely favors legacy, despite the official statements that they don’t consider legacy.

yes, 100%.
I know a few DMV legacies who got in over equally qualified other kids. i.e. a scenario where say, 40 kids applied from a public school and the two who were accepted were legacies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When you say apply early, are you saying apply before the November 1 deadline or apply in September?

As in if you want to attend, apply in August. Definitely do not wait until Nov 1 for EA

Really? I have never heard this before. So applying in September or early October really makes a difference?

NP. I think in a way it displays demonstrated and the application gets an early read (just my guess) before the flood of applications in November.

Returning to this thread to help those applying this fall.

I definitely think it helps to get the Michigan application in before October 15 - preferably by the end of September.

My kid submitted the application by October 10 and was admitted in early action. Was also not the very tippy top of the class either. Had very, very good Michigan essays that they spent a good portion of August on.

Here is something I saw today on a Michigan admissions Facebook group:

“I recently had my daughter and some of her friends make the appointment at Umich to read their application feedback, as they just completed freshmen year. It was very helpful to see it through the lens of the people reading it. One thing she noticed is that both reviewers made a note about her application being reviewed prior to the deadline (and they indicated the date on which they reviewed it in October).”

Interesting. Do you mean submitting application early including counselor letter and teacher LORs? Unfortunately at my kids large public school, teachers and counselors tend to submit LOR at the very last minute.

DP here - At our school, it is all processed through Naviance and send automatically once the letters are uploaded. So, my kid had all their docs in for the October 15th applications. When they submitted UMich right after that, all the requested info from their HS was sent off right away. The teachers and counselor wasn't sending each one individually. The only thing that would have required action is is DC added a school later that wasn't on the CommonApp.

[Anonymous]

Full Pay OOS
Grades & Test scores it's a data school.

Do not apply from a small religious private waste of your money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At our high ranking FCPS high school, the two kids I know who got in both had the necessary high stats and class rank but also one was an athlete and a legacy and the other proudly lied about his awards and ECs (his dad thought it was funny - great catch, Michigan)

A recruited athlete or just a high level high school athlete? Also, Michigan absolutely favors legacy, despite the official statements that they don’t consider legacy.

Not recruited. Just very good and multiple sports.

[Anonymous]

Class of 2026 Mich: accepted OOs early with 1530, 3.9, athlete, orchestra, leadership. I remember guidance counselor told her to redo
the "why Mich" essay and make it very specific to Michigan. She researched and added specific classes, specific profs and specific programs etc. that she wanted to take, get involved with and how it aligned with her career goals.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Class of 2026 Mich: accepted OOs early with 1530, 3.9, athlete, orchestra, leadership. I remember guidance counselor told her to redo
the "why Mich" essay and make it very specific to Michigan. She researched and added specific classes, specific profs and specific programs etc. that she wanted to take, get involved with and how it aligned with her career goals.

Similar advice from our CCO.
Said it should be so unique to the applicant and to DC’s connection to Michigan that no one else in the world could have written it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Class of 2026 Mich: accepted OOs early with 1530, 3.9, athlete, orchestra, leadership. I remember guidance counselor told her to redo
the "why Mich" essay and make it very specific to Michigan. She researched and added specific classes, specific profs and specific programs etc. that she wanted to take, get involved with and how it aligned with her career goals.

Same. I do feel like that's easier to do with some majors/departments than others. But, when DC was done with the essay, it was more compelling than any other they wrote. DC started first with how what they had done in their life lead them to Michigan, but it was too weighted towards the student and eventually shifted the focus more to Michigan and it didn't feel like any other school could be subbed out. That was definitely not the case for some of the other "why this school" essays of the community ones. I guess that's why DC is going Blue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Class of 2026 Mich: accepted OOs early with 1530, 3.9, athlete, orchestra, leadership. I remember guidance counselor told her to redo
the "why Mich" essay and make it very specific to Michigan. She researched and added specific classes, specific profs and specific programs etc. that she wanted to take, get involved with and how it aligned with her career goals.

Same. I do feel like that's easier to do with some majors/departments than others. But, when DC was done with the essay, it was more compelling than any other they wrote. DC started first with how what they had done in their life lead them to Michigan, but it was too weighted towards the student and eventually shifted the focus more to Michigan and it didn't feel like any other school could be subbed out. That was definitely not the case for some of the other "why this school" essays of the community ones. I guess that's why DC is going Blue.

This is the reason Michigan gives your kid 550 words to explain why Mich....is it the most in college admissions?

[Anonymous]

No. The Wisconsin essay is longer, but you can be successful with that essay including club and Madison details.

[Anonymous]

Has anyone’s DC had success talking about their interest in the Ford School? It seems tricky because it’s selective - interested LSA students apply sophomore year and not all of them get in. Seems different than writing the “Why Michigan” essay to apply to a direct admit school like Ross or LSA with a plan to major in something that open to all.

(Admittedly, I don’t love this about Ford. DC loves Michigan and has a few back up majors in mind if Ford doesn’t work out. But it seems crappy to ask kids take a risk like this.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone’s DC had success talking about their interest in the Ford School? It seems tricky because it’s selective - interested LSA students apply sophomore year and not all of them get in. Seems different than writing the “Why Michigan” essay to apply to a direct admit school like Ross or LSA with a plan to major in something that open to all.

(Admittedly, I don’t love this about Ford. DC loves Michigan and has a few back up majors in mind if Ford doesn’t work out. But it seems crappy to ask kids take a risk like this.)

Yes.

My son just finished his freshman year at Umich LSA. He plans to apply to the Ford School sophomore year, when eligible. LSA Political Science will be his backup, and he seems entirely OK with that.

In his "Why Michigan" essay he did mention likely applying to the Ford School. He's interested in state and local issues, probably headed toward some public-sector career. His high school courses, extracurriculars, and experience support that plan. I think he wrote a fairly cohesive essay, bringing this all together. (We're in-state Michigan, by the way.)

The typical path to the Ford School (undergraduate) is through LSA, so my take is if you're already thinking about Ford when applying to Umich LSA as a freshman, why not mention it.

Word on campus is that when applying to the Ford School, the policy position essay is extremely important (and the limit is only a few hundred words).